Wednesday, 31 July 2013

Saturday Snapshot on a Weekday: Purgatory nº 5

Now, strictly speaking there is nothing 'purgatorial' about this here spot. But it does resemble the earlier snapshots of roadside chapels and Grandma Moses renderings of the Afterlife so much that I decided to post the stuff anyway.

Today's pictures come from the crossroads in a small, forgotten, run down little hamlet, previously on the grand road from Santiago de Compostela to the coastal metropolis of Noia, today lost in the wilderness left by new highways right left and above, called Alqueidon (ayuntamiento de Brion, Coruña). There, where the Rua de Santiago meets the Rua da Fonte (how DO they come up with such original names...?) stands this little chapel above the Fuente de San Antonio (of Padua, in case you were wondering).

There is no date. There is no year. I have no idea when the little chapel was first built. But I am positive that this one has been around for a long long long long time. Quite possibly we're talking of neolithic times, seeing that there are many dolmen in the neighborhood, and that from times immemorial wells were thought to be holy places (which is why so many churches are built near a well, and why we toss coins into the waters, a sacrifice to the spirit that inhabits them, hoping our wishes will come true...)

San Antonio himself is a paragon of simple, popular art. The grid in front won't let you see him very well, but do take note of the Infant Jesus (in Franciscan habit as well!) on his left arm (right side for you, dear reader), the palm branch - actually meant to be a lilly of virginity - in his right, and the weirdo decoration behind his head, which is not, actually, a halo, but is supposed to make you think of a Santiago shell...

And here is San Antonio's little collection box, on the right lower side, with another 15 cm statue of the saint.

Now, I believe there is money in there. But it just so happens that many many years ago they lost the key to that rotten old rusty lock; so the grid cannot be opened and the money not collected. Local lore has it that ample prayers have been offered to the appropriate saint for help in recovering the key... But so far without result. Nobody knows why...

I could be in & gone in 30 seconds. What's the address again? Oh, wait, it's ok. I've located it on Google maps. Getaway route is simple. Up Rua Pomba, left at Av. Noia, right onto Av. Anxeles & left or right along Viaducto de Brion. Thanks for the tip. I hope there's enough loot in the box to make this worthwhile. Spanish doubloons, Maria Teresa Thalers & pieces of eight? Pray for us sinners, now & at the the hour of our deaths. Yo Saint Anthony, the patron saint of lost items. Where's the key to your box?